Flame Guardian
by Catsrawesome
Summary: Leo has always known that being a fire user is dangerous. But he never knew that he was capable of so much more, or how dangerous he really was. But on his 16th birthday, he learns of his true powers from a girl who claims to be his sister. He finds a new home with others like him, but will he be able to control his new powers? Or will someone else pay the price for his curse?
1. I Get Kidnapped by an Eagle

**Hey everyone!**

**For the first time ever, I AM NOT MAKING A CALEO FANFIC!**

**Well, not mainly, like it isn't the main plot.**

**But yes, it is going to be about our favorite mechanic. I was actually a little hesitant to write this in case Rick decides to kill Leo and then you will be completely uninterested, but I decided to do it anyway.**

**I really hope you like it!**

Leo's POV

I can sum up my day in three words:

Worst. Birthday. _Ever._

Well, I am a demigod, so what was I expecting? At least I could have avoided learning about the fact that my whole entire life was a lie, and I am talking more in depth than the whole you-are-related-to-a-god thing.

I suppose that it didn't really start so badly. Let me start from the beginning...

It started with a normal day in Bunker Nine. I was just working on my latest project: the astrolabe. I had been working on it for, how long? Four weeks? Five weeks? How long has it been since we defeated Gaia? I didn't even remember.

But no matter how long I worked on it, the solution to putting it together correctly still eluded me. This was the key to me finding Calypso, and I was determined to find her again. No matter how immature I am, I keep my promises.

I was interrupted from my work by a knock on the bunker door. I sighed and put my project down.

"Come in!" I yelled.

The door opened, and Piper's face was revealed behind the door. She had an expression like someone who was doing everything in their power to keep a straight face.

"What is it?" I asked, suspicious, "Do I have a kick-me sign on my back again? I really hate those Stolls."

"No, you look fine," Piper said slyly, only making me even more suspicious, "I just need help with something. Do you think you can help me?"

"Sure! Commander Tool-belt is on it!"

Piper rolled her eyes, and then took off out of the bunker. I ran after her. After running for a while, I realized that we were heading towards the dining pavillian.

_Did the Hecate Cabin break a chair again? _I thought, _If they did, I will have to give them a piece of my mind!_

I thought about that for a moment.

_Well, maybe I will go easy on them. Maybe if I do, they won't turn me into a lion again. That was a cruel joke! Curse my stupid name that just happens to also be the name of the lion constellation!_

I was already a little ticked off about being taken away from my work, but I got really ticked off when after one turn, Piper just disappeared, practically into thin air.

"Ok, this is not funny," I said, "Piper, wherever you are, please come out."

No answer.

"Seriously, I am getting really frustrated. It hasn't been that good of a day so far, and I am completely okay with burning down the whole camp to find you!"

Still no answer. Suddenly, I heard the snap of a twig a little to my right.

"Aha! I've got you now, Piper," I muttered under my breath.

I ran towards the sound, which brought me closer to the dining pavilion.

"I am so going to kill her," I told myself as I ran, "Her little charmspeak can't protect her from my fire!"

I thought about _that._

"Well, technically it can, but not if I can get to her first!"

I ran closer to the pavilion.

"Which is unlikely," I muttered.

Finally, I emerged in the pavilion. I stopped in my tracks, and my jaw fell.

Everything was decorated with red streamers. There was a new addition to to the regular tables in the pavilion: one large table filled with all of my favorite foods, including one giant three-layered cake in the center. There was a giant banner hanging in the center that read (in Ancient Greek) _'Happy Birthday Leo!'_

But the best part about everything was that every single camper in camp was there, including the Romans from Camp Jupiter.

"SURPRISE!" they all yelled.

"What is this?" I managed to say through my shock.

"It is your birthday party!" said Jason, walking towards me.

"You remembered?"

"Of course!" said Percy, placing a hand on my shoulder shoulder, "Why wouldn't we?"

"I never told any of you."

"You told me," said Piper, "It was before we met Jason. I just remember you telling me."

"How did you get everyone here?"

"We didn't," said Annabeth, appearing beside Percy, "The people from Cabin 15 are sleeping, as usual. Also, Octavian didn't want to show up."

"What a surprise," muttered Frank as he walked over to us with Hazel.

"But besides them, everyone is here!" said Percy.

"Guys, I-I don't know what to say," I said.

"Then don't talk," Jason wisely said, "Just eat your cake! We made it ourselves!"

I turned my attention to the cake again. Upon closer inspection, I noticed flaws that were messily covered up with extra frosting.

"Yeah..." said Hazel, "Not our best decision."

"Well, I_ told _you guys that we should have bought one!" said Piper.

"No," I said, surprising my friends, "It is amazing."

"Really?" asked Hazel.

"Yup," I said with a smile, "I love it. It even looks like a lob-sided piece of Celestial Bronze!"

Annabeth punched me in the arm, while everyone else burst out laughing.

"Why don't you cut the cake?" suggested Piper.

"Sure."

"Thank the gods!" said Percy, "I can't stand just waiting around when there is cake to be eaten!"

I laughed as I was led towards the lob-sided cake. I was given a huge battle knife from Clarisse which had dark red stains on it that looked horridly like blood. Thankfully, Frank gave me a proper cutting knife (without blood stains) and I made a small cut into the cake.

A loud shriek filled the air.

I looked confusedly at the cake, then the knife in my hands, and then back at the cake. I wasn't the only one. The smart people though (*cough* Athena Kids *cough*) looked towards the sky. Someone screamed, and then I was smart enough to look upward, too.

A dark shadow was descending towards us. I could just make out brown and white feathers, two golden-yellow talons, and two beady black eyes.

It was a bald eagle, except that it was about the size of a small plane.

It shrieked again, and as it descended, it extended its talons towards the ground like it was about to grab something. As it majestically glided in our direction, I was able to figure out one thing:

It was flying towards me.

Jason had also reached that conclusion, because he grabbed a sword that was sitting on a chair next to him (typical demigod habits), leaped into the air, and flew towards the eagle. He swiped at the eagle with the sword, and I knew that he had killed the monster.

Oh, did I mention that he _didn't _kill the monster?

As the sword made contact with the giant bird, the bird burst into flame, and the sword went right through it. Jason let out a cry of surprise, and the bird took the advantage. It flew past Jason, no longer a bird but a huge ball of fire, and stopped over one of the dining tables.

Then it started to change.

The ball of fire grew. Two arms, two legs, and a head were formed. Then the fire was suddenly extinguished, and a pretty girl around my age was revealed. She had curly brown hair, rough, yet gentle features, and brown eyes that looked like it had a flame dancing in the center. They were the most unsettling feature about her, but it had nothing to do with the flame. I just couldn't figure out what made me feel uneasy about her. Something about them made me scared. But there was one part of me that wanted to look at them longer, to remember every part of them. I couldn't figure that out either.

The girl looked straight at me, and her expression changed. She looked almost... happy. There was also a fierce hunger in her expression. It made her look even more ferocious. She suddenly leaped into the air and burst into flames mid jump. She once again transformed into the giant eagle and swooped down towards me.

"Stop!" yelled Piper.

But the charmspeak didn't work. The eagle just flew right past her and grabbed me with her sharp talons. I let out a strangled yelp as my feet left the ground and I sailed into the sky. I heard cries from below me, and I heard Piper and Jason screaming my name.

After a few minutes, the cries were lost in the wind. The eagle gained altitude, soaring above the clouds.

"Hey!" I yelled at her, "What do you think you're doing? Let me go!"

The eagle didn't respond. I pounded at her talons, struggled against her grip, even used some very colorful language, but the eagle didn't respond. She just kept flying.

After a few hours of yelling myself hoarse, setting myself on fire, and pinching myself to see if I wasn't dreaming and that I had actually had been kidnapped by a giant eagle, I finally deemed my situation hopeless, and just hung limply as I was carried to who knows where.

Finally, the eagle started a shallow dive. I was then able to get a good look at my surroundings. We were nearing an island. In the center was a huge volcano. Probably where the eagle roasted her victims for dinner. Around the volcano, however, was a vast forest that hid the many secrets that the island held. I stared at it in wonder. I was not surprised when the eagle flew straight towards the volcano.

I was a little shocked, however, when the eagle aimed towards the _inside_ of the volcano.

"Are you crazy!?" I exclaimed.

Then I realized that, even if it was filled with lava, it wouldn't hurt me. I also realized that it wouldn't hurt the bird either.

The bird ignored me and dived straight towards the hole at the top of the volcano. I braced myself for the hot lava that I was sure to have an unplanned swim in. But instead of some river of lava or something I was expecting (I am not good at science), there was a smooth rock ledge on the side. On the ledge was a lava waterfall (Is it called a water-lava? Lavafall?) that fell from somewhere above it. It was surprisingly not smoky at all inside the volcano. In fact, the air was crisp and fresh, like there was an air vent in here or something.

The eagle dropped me roughly on the ledge. Then, she transformed once again back into the girl.

"Ow!" I protested, "What was that for?"

"I am sorry," the girl said in a gentle voice, "I didn't expect you to be so light."

"You can talk?"

"Of course!" she answered like I had asked a stupid question, "Why wouldn't I be able to?"

"Who are you? Where have you taken me?"

"If you must know, my name is Sarah. I have taken you to my home."

The name Sarah struck me. It sounded so familiar. It gave me the same weird feeling that was presented to me when I looked into her eyes.

"You live in a volcano?" I asked.

"Not in it. Underneath it."

"What? What do you mean, 'Underneath it'? How were you able to transform?"

The girl now looked confused.

"Can't you transform?"

"Of course not! I am a fire user! I think you are talking about my friend Frank."

"No, you are the right person. I thought all fire users could do it."

"All fire users? So what you are saying is-"

"Yes, I am a fire user," She summoned a little ball of fire in her hands.

After all of those years thinking that I was the only fire user in the world, or at least one of them, I finally find another one.

My only thought? Confusion.

"What are you talking about? How are you a fire user?"

"I was born one. All fire users are born from another fire user."

"All fire users? How many are there?"

"Um, I don't know exactly home many. A hundred, I think?"

Yup. Definitely confused.

"But I thought that I was the only one!"

"You really don't remember?"

"Remember _what!?"_

Suddenly, I realized why the eyes were so scary looking. It was because they looked exactly like mine.

"Leo," she said, the fire in her eyes increasing tenfold, "I am your sister."

**I won't be able to update again for a little while, but please review! I really want to know what I can make better! You are awesome!**

**Catsrawesome**


	2. I Get Blasted with Lava

**I am so sorry this is a short chapter! they will be longer!**

**This is just to fill in few of the blanks! **

I stared at my so-called 'sister' with my mouth open.

"W-what? What do you mean? I don't have a sister!" I stammered.

"Yes, you do. And that is me. I am your sister," said Sarah, "Your twin sister, actually."

"What? Twin? But... I mean, wouldn't I _know _if I had a twin sister?"

"It is the Mist, altered by Hecate herself."

Sarah said this like it was some kind of honor.

"You are crazy!"

Sarah smiled. Her lips curved up the exact same way mine do when I know something no one else does.

"Am I?"

Sarah pulled out of her pocket a small hand mirror and examined her reflection.

"Hmm. I am not sure if this is a good look for me," said Sarah.

"Why do you care?" I asked.

"I don't usually," replied Sarah, still examining her reflection, "It is just, I am seeing you again for the first time in, I don't know, about eight years?"

Sarah suddenly looked uncomfortable. I realized that she must have been trying to give a good first impression.

"Um, you look fine," I managed to say.

"Nah, I don't think so. Here, give me a second."

She ran her hands through her hair. So quickly that I barely even noticed it, her hair caught fire and was extinguished. But when the fire was gone, her hair had changed. It was now jet black and wavy. I noticed a green streak.

"Most fire users don't like cold colors, like blue and green, but my favorite color had always been green. What's yours?"

"Um," I said, unsure of how to reply, "I have always liked red."

"Cool! Jonah also loves red. Amy likes yellow, and Sam has always loved purple."

"Who are they?"

"Your other siblings."

"Wait, I have _more _siblings?"

"Of course! Two older siblings, and a younger one."

My head was spinning. I already had a lot of half siblings back at camp, but having all of these other brothers and sisters that I didn't know about was overwhelming. Sarah walked toward the lavafall.

"Wait!" I shouted, "Where are you going?"

"Home, of course," said Sarah like it was completely obvious, "You coming?"

One part of my was curious about what was behind the downpour of lava, wondering what secrets lay underneath this volcano. But another part of me didn't trust this girl. True, she was a fire-user like me, but that made it even more suspicious.

I just shook my head.

"If you say so," said Sarah, "But be warned. You are sixteen now. That is the age when your true powers start to show, and when you start to loose control of them. I can help you learn how to control your new abilities. Whenever you are ready, blow this."

Sarah conjured up flames in her hand, and when they were extinguished there was a small dog whistle sitting in her palm hanging on a silver chain. She placed it into my hand.

"Whenever you are ready, come find us," said Sarah, "And whatever people tell you, whatever _you _tell yourself, you are not a monster."

"Why would I think that I am a monster?" I asked.

Sarah smiled again, but there was sadness in her eyes.

"Because all Ash Bearers are considered monsters."

Before I could even ask what an Ash Bearer was, Sarah thrust out her hand. The lava behind her shot forward and collided with me. I blacked out.

**Review for chapter 3! U R AWESOME!**

**catsrawesome**


	3. I Get Almond Shaped Eyes

**Hello everyone! To everyone who has read BOO, I am going to connect that ending with this, don't worry. It is actually going to be pretty interesting.**

**I hope you like it! I am giving you just a glimpse at Leo's newfound powers.**

When I regained consciousness, I was staring at two huge golden balls. Then I realized that they were eyes, just inches from mine.

"GAH!" I yelled, flinging up and hitting my head against Hazel's.

"Ow!" she yelled, "Sorry! Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you!"

"No, it's ok," I said, rubbing my forehead.

I looked around. I realized that we were both in the infirmary at Camp Half Blood, and that I was sitting in one of the beds. I saw other patients sitting around me, whether they were sick, injured, or even had an piglet up their nose (I don't even want to know). Hazel didn't look hurt or sick, and her nostrils looked piglet-free, so she must have been a visitor.

"How are you feeling?" she asked me, a worried expression playing on her face.

"Great," I replied truthfully, "Never been better."

"I am glad," said Hazel, now smiling, "That was a nasty concussion you had."

"Yeah, it- wait, what?"

Hazel's concerned look returned.

"Concussion. Remember? Percy and Jason were lifting you up, and you leaned backwards a little too far and fell... Don't you remember that?"

No. I didn't remember. Try as I might, the only image I conjured up was of the eagle, Sarah.

"But... wasn't I kidnapped by an eagle?" I asked, confused.

Hazel smiled again.

"Leo, please don't fake that you have amnesia. The Apollo Cabin already cured you, and said that you were now completely fine. No brain damage."

Hazel's smile grew, like someone had just told her some hilarious joke.

"Kidnapped by an eagle? Is that really the best you can do?"

"No, but didn't... I was sure that during my birthday party-"

"Oh! Speaking of which," interrupted Hazel, reaching towards a small table next to my bed and grabbing a plate with a slice of cake on it, "You never got to enjoy your birthday cake."

Even through my confusion, I was glad that Hazel had thought of me. I grabbed the plate, picked up the slice with two fingers, and stuffed the whole thing into my mouth.

"You are disgusting!" said Hazel, laughing.

"What?" I said, my mouth full of cake, "I gen eh gake ike dis ef I wan doh!"

My statement only made Hazel laugh harder. I managed to swallow the huge cake blob.

"So, where are the others? I would think that they wouldn't want to be anywhere without me!"

Hazel managed to regain herself before answering the question.

"They left about fifteen minutes ago," she answered, "They seemed reluctant to go, but they all had work to do. You know, with making all the shrines for the minor gods and camp duties... it is pretty busy."

"You can say that again," I said, grabbing the plate and licking the leftover frosting from it.

Hazel looked at me weirdly, and then continued as casually as she could, "So, how are things in Bunker Nine?"

I didn't answer right away. After I had licked every bit of frosting from the plate, I set it down and replied, "Still working on the astrolabe. I, like everyone else, don't have a lot of free time. I guess Calypso will have to wait a little longer."

I could talk the most openly about Calypso with Hazel. If I ever needed someone to talk to about Ogygia, or how I felt about Calypso (which wasn't often. I am not a talk-about-your-feelings type of guy), I would immediately go to her. She always understood.

I felt guilty leaving Calypso waiting for me, even though time is different in Ogygia. But even that made me feel worse, because Calypso would probably have to wait either five minutes, or five years. I knew what it was like to wait for something, slowly loosing hope. I had felt that way right after my mom's death...

I pushed that thought aside. I wasn't going to dwell on such thoughts. I once again put on my best Leo smile and looked up at Hazel.

Hazel seemed to be fighting some sort of mental battle, because she seemed to almost be holding her breath. Sometimes, she would raise her hand up to my face, her mouth open like she wanted to say something, and then dropped it. Finally, when I was about to ask her if something was charging behind me with a chainsaw, she grabbed a napkin from the table beside me and roughly rubbed my nose with it.

"Hey!" I yelled, my words slightly muffled from the napkin.

"You have frosting on your nose!" she said in a mother-like tone.

"Then why don't you just tell me!"

Hazel seemed to have finished embarrassing me, because she placed the napkin back on the table and examined my now clean nose. She smiled, and then the smile was whipped clean off her face.

"What is it?" I asked her, "Do I have frosting on my forehead, too?"

Hazel didn't answer. It took her a while to regain her voice.

"Are your eyes normally blue?"

"Huh?" I blinked a few times, as though by doing so I would be able to feel what color my eyes were, "What do you mean? My eyes are brown!"

Hazel once again examined my face. She slowly started to relax.

"Sorry, must my imagination. You are right. They are brown. My mistake."

She slowly got up.

"Don't leave me!" I yelled after her in a mocking tone, "I get lonely! And I probably need my blankie!"

Hazel smirked at me before walking out the door.

"Get better soon, Repair Boy!"

"Only Piper calls me that!" I shouted.

I chuckled a little, and then remembered Sarah.

Was that really a hallucination? Did I really get a concussion during the party and that is why I had that strange dream? I then remembered that Sarah could change her appearance at will. Was it really a dream, or did I really have a sister? I wasn't sure which I wanted more...

I noticed a small hand mirror on the table. I cautiously picked it up and examined my reflection. I looked the same as I always did, minus the usual grease marks that covered me from head to toe. My eyes were the exact same shade of brown that they always were. I couldn't imagine what had made Hazel think that they looked blue...

Not even realizing what I was doing, I slowly ran my fingers through my curly hair. Was I imagining it, or did it get slightly darker? I blinked. It was exactly the same as it always had been. I smiled into my reflection. I stuck my tongue out. Soon, I was doing every single weird face in the book, and quickly got bored.

I sighed, placing the mirror back on the table. At least those were a fun thirty seconds.

I caught one last look at my reflection, and nearly did a double take. Those eyes... they were a lighter shade of brown, and distinctly almond shaped...

I blinked again, and my eyes were back to normal.

_I must be seeing things, _I thought, _It was just a dream, Leo. You have no sister..._

I closed my (hopefully normal) eyes again and slowly drifted back to sleep.

**REVIEW FOR MORE CHAPTERS! YOU ARE AWESOME!**

**catsrawesome**


	4. I Get a Shattered Mirror

**I am sorry it is so short! I just wanted to get a little deeper into the plot.**

I woke up well rested. After being checked over by Will Solace, I was free to leave the infirmary. I checked my reflection quickly in the hand mirror, and was relieved to see my own familiar reflection gazing back at me.

I managed to find Jason and Piper practicing self-defense in the training arena. They noticed me and waved me over.

"Hey Repair Boy," said Piper, giving me a one-armed hug (she was holding ever-present Katoptris in her other hand).

"You okay?" asked Jason, patting me on the back.

"Yeah, I'm good," I replied.

"Oh, did you see what the Stolls did to the climbing wall?" said Jason, looking excited.

I smiled. Jason had definitely changed from the orderly, rule-following Roman he used to be to a true Greek. He still belonged to Camp Jupiter, but he was always welcome at Camp Half Blood. Well, to be truthful, _all_ Romans were now right at home at Camp Half Blood, and it was likewise with the Greeks at Camp Jupiter.

"Was it the prank with the frogs, or the one with the Mist?" I asked.

"The one with the rampaging rhino," answered Piper.

"Oh! You mean the one last week?"

"No, the one that happened a few hours ago," corrected Jason, "This one had _two _rhinos, and for some reason they were painted pink."

"It might have had to do with the fact that the Ares Cabin were using the climbing wall," suggested.

I talked and laughed with Jason and Piper like we had known each other since pre-school (although if we _did _know each other from pre-school, they would probably be trying to avoid me instead of talking to me). Although I did avoid the subject of my 'concussion'. I was still not sure how I had gone unconscious. I also didn't tell them about what I saw in the mirror. I had a feeling that, if I tried hard enough, I would be able to confirm if the dream was real, and if Sarah was real...

But a part of me was scared. Sarah had told me not to think that I was a monster. Why would I think that I am a monster? I mean, I definitely thought that I was dangerous before, but now I was with people who were just as powerful and dangerous I was. I had a feeling that the two were connected. They were like two pieces of a machine. Apart, they were useless. But when they are put together, they click into place and create something incredible.

The problem was I was not sure that, when the pieces click together, the effects wouldn't be that wonderful...

Piper and Jason excused themselves to go and do their camp duties, and I regretfully said goodbye. Bored out of my mind, I headed for Bunker Nine. Maybe I could keep working on the astrolabe...

There was something weird about that astrolabe. No matter how I adjusted the crystal, or how much pressure I put on it, the crystal just wouldn't click into place. It was almost like the astrolabe didn't want to work. Like it didn't want me to find Ogygia. Like it didn't want me to find Calypso.

_Not a good omen, _I thought to myself glumly.

Changing my mind, I doubled back and headed towards my cabin. Maybe I could go take a nap. I haven't gotten a lot of sleep ever since the Giant War...

I walked into the familiar cabin, beaming at all of the tools that littered the floor. Watching my step, I picked my way towards my bed. I collapsed into the soft covers, and immediately deemed it hopeless. Even though I still had a lot of sleep to catch up on, I had just had a long nap in the infirmary. I sat up, and noticed something glittering on Nyssa's bed. Being the typical ADHD brother, I got up and walked towards her bed. The glittering thing happened to be a small hand mirror. Typical.

I once again gazed at my reflection. This time, however, it made me uneasy. Slowly, I grabbed one of my brown locks and held it between two fingers.

_Come on Leo, _I thought to myself, _It won't kill you. It might not even work!_

Without even realizing it, my heart sped up. I struggled to control my breathing.

_Focus Leo! _I thought, _Just do it!_

_No,_ the other part of me replied, _Don't be silly. It is not worth the risk._

What _is not worth the risk? It isn't a big deal! _argued the first side.

_It could be dangerous, _defended the second side.

_Just do it!_

_It is not worth the risk._

"DO IT!" I yelled, not realizing that I had spoken out loud.

For a second, I thought my hair had caught on fire. Then I realized that it wasn't on fire at all. My hair had changed from its normal shade of brown to a bright, flaming red. In shock, I dropped the hand mirror. The mirror shattered, and broken glass made the floor even more of a danger zone.

I backed up and fell back on my bed. I once again struggled to control my breathing, for it now came out in great rasps. I grabbed a now red lock of hair and examined it. The color was unnatural, unsettling.

Even through my shock, even though I was terrified beyond belief, there was one fact that made my heart leap. One fact that gave me hope. One fact that made the effort almost completely worth it:

I really had a sister.

**THEY WILL BE LONGER! I PROMISE! U R ALL AWESOME!**

**catsrawesome**


	5. I Get Info from the Book of Monsters

**Thank you all for the reviews! They mean the world to me!**

**Once again, this is more of a filler chapter. There will definitely be some action soon!**

Slowly but surely, I managed to calm down. I grabbed one of the shards of glass on the floor, not caring if I cut myself in the process, and I looked at my reflection. Sure enough, my hair had turned a vivid shade of red.

_What is happening to me? _I thought, _I have never been able to do anything like this before. How is this even possible?_

I had been able to summon fire even when I was really young. But I didn't ever remember a time when I had accidentally changed the color of my hair.

_You are sixteen now. That is the age when your true powers start to show, and when you start to loose control of them..._

Sarah's words echoed in my mind. Loose control of them... Did that mean that my hair will turn red at random moments. Or maybe it will change into a different and more embarrassing color, like pink. But how will I loose control of them? Will it happen whenever I have a strong emotion, like my fire abilities? Or will it be completely random?

Sarah had told me this like it was a bad thing, like it was dangerous. I didn't know what was so dangerous about being able to change you appearance. Well, maybe if I turned my hair green, I could tell the Demeter cabin that I used grass as a wig... That might be enough to give them a heart attack. But I had a feeling that Sarah was talking more in depth than just changing my hair.

Slowly, I closed my eyes. I focused on the normal shade of dark brown my hair usually was. I might have imagined it, but I felt a slight tingling sensation in my scalp. When I opened my eyes, my hair was back to normal. Then I remembered when Hazel said that my eyes were blue, and when I saw two almond shaped eyes gaze back at me in the mirror...

I closed my eyes again. This time, when I opened them, they were a bright shade of yellow. The pupils were slits, like a cat. I smiled slightly to myself.

_This isn't so bad. I am able to control it. There isn't any need to be afraid._

Yet some part of me was still unsettled about this new discovery. I didn't see how this power was dangerous, but maybe I shouldn't take risks...

I blinked, and my eyes were back to their usual shade of brown. I scooped up the shards of glass on the floor and dumped them into the trash bin. I started to walk out the door when I froze.

_Why not? _I thought as I doubled-back into the cabin, _YOLO, right?_

I reached back into the bin and grabbed the largest shard of glass I could find. I gazed at my reflection for a second, and then closed my eyes. When I opened them again, my reflection was almost exactly the same as before. The only difference was an almost unnoticeable red streak in my hair.

_To remember Sarah._

I walked out of the cabin into the sunlight.

* * *

><p>I walked around aimlessly. I was once again bored out of my mind. I was too preoccupied to build anything. I was not in the mood to practice self defense. I didn't want to even think. I constantly reached up to touch the red streak in my hair. I had never even thought of getting highlights. Well, maybe I would have gotten a tattoo (something totally awesome, like a dragon or a minotaur or a skull- Wait, forget that last one. Too much like Nico. That guy is creepy!), but I never really think about my appearance.<p>

A few people stared at me. Probably because of the new colorful addition to my hair. I completely ignored them, but I felt their eyes bearing into me. Then, I saw a familiar face.

"Hey Annabeth!" I shouted, running over to her.

Annabeth was sitting on the porch of her cabin, her nose buried in a thick novel. She looked up, and then smiled warmly when she saw who had called out to her.

"Hey, Leo. What's-"

She stopped mid-sentence, and her jaw dropped.

"What is it?" I asked her, even though I had a suspicion about what it was.

"Have you always had a red highlight in your hair?" asked Annabeth.

"Nope! Just recently I got it."

"B-but... I mean... Why would you... Why!?"

"Um..."

I was not sure of how to reply. I quickly said the first lie that came to my head.

"I thought it looked cool!"

I wish Annabeth wasn't so smart. She immediately looked suspicious. I decided to change the subject.

"So, how are you and Percy?"

Annabeth's face lit up at the mention of her boyfriend, and then she quickly returned to looking suspicious.

"We survived Tartarus together," she said, "We aren't breaking up that easily."

"That's good," I replied, managing a smile.

An awkward silence followed, lingering heavily in the air. I then remembered Sarah calling me something... An Ash Wearer? No, an Ash Bearer. Yeah, that was it. I wasn't sure what that was, but maybe Annabeth did? It was worth a shot.

"Annabeth? I was wondering if I could ask you a question."

"Sure," said Annabeth, staring at me with her piecing stormy grey eyes.

"Um, do you think we could take this inside? It's boiling out here!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes, but nevertheless opened the door and held it open for me.

As I walked into the Athena cabin, I saw Annabeth's half siblings were all reading various books. Not that I was surprised. The sounds of pages being turned and of conversation filled the room.

"Ok, what do you want to ask me?" asked Annabeth.

"Well, I was wondering if you knew what an Ash Bearer is," I said as casually as I could.

Silence descended over the cabin. Everyone turned towards us. Annabeth stared at me like I was a complete stranger. I stood there staring at the ground, trying not to blush. Finally, Annabeth said, "Malcolm, please fetch me the Book of Monsters."

_The Book of Monsters. _That didn't sound good. I wasn't the only one who thought so. There was uneasy muttering among the Athena kids.

"Settle down," said Annabeth, and everyone once again fell silent. Malcolm quickly grabbed a book off a shelf and gave it to Annabeth.

"Thanks, Mal," said Annabeth with a smile.

Annabeth started flipping through the book, until she stopped at what appeared to be a promising page. Annabeth started to read.

"Beware of this devious and foul demon. Ash Bearers are literally fire that has taken a physical form. They are nearly impossible to kill, and if there is indeed a way to kill them it is yet to be found. These beasts have the ability to transform into whatever form they can conjure from their mind, and they sometimes like to stay in the form of a ball of fire. They are completely immortal, although they can die of natural causes if they wish to stay in one form and live up until the extent of their life. They are a free spirit, and their exact habitat is unknown. Many believe that they travel from place to place, and others are partial to the belief that they have a secret fortress. Never underestimate an Ash Bearer, for they are smarter and more clever than any human being. It is said that they have the powers of a god, but only those who meet one and survive would be able to know for sure. If you ever encounter one of these beasts, run and hope that it doesn't find you."

Annabeth looked up, but I barely noticed.

Sarah had called me an Ash Bearer. Is this what Sarah meant by saying that I shouldn't think that I am a monster? Can I really shape shift? That would explain why I am able to change my appearance. But how is that possible? And I am _immortal!?_ And I didn't really feel like I had the powers of a god.

It had said that Ash Bearers were extremely clever. I didn't feel very smart either. In fact, many people have called me an idiot.

I was brought back to reality when Annabeth snapped her fingers in front of my nose.

"Hello? Anyone in there?"

"What? Oh, sorry. Where you saying something?" I asked.

Annabeth once again rolled her eyes.

"I asked you if I had answered your question."

"Oh! Um, yeah. Yeah, you have. Thanks."

"No problem."

I left the Athena cabin, conscious of Annabeth's suspicious gaze. I had definitely been given a lot to think about.

**So there is a little more detail about Leo's powers. But wait... THERE'S MORE! LOL anyway review! You are awesome!**

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	6. I Get Hurt by Everyone Including Me

**I TOLD YOU! I TOLD YOU I WOULD MAKE A LONG CHAPTER!**

**I am so sorry for the wait, but now it is over! I loved this chapter personally, and I hope you enjoy it!**

I ran as fast as I could. I could feel the wind rushing at my face, and my burning lungs as my feet moved. I could see my target.

_Focus._

When I was only a few feet away, I suddenly flung my arms out like wings. I jumped, and...

BAM!

I was once again lying on the ground, dazed. Through my sluggish senses, I could feel anger and frustration. I slowly got back up to my feet, and I glared at the tree I had run into.

I had been trying for hours without success to transform, like Annabeth said that I could. I had been running at the same tree over and over again, trying to become at least _something _different. Even though I longed to do something else, and that I probably had a terrible concussion and needed to go to the infirmary, I once again took my position and ran at the tree. I set myself on fire, and then threw out my arms like I was a plane on a speedway. I practically flew to the tree and I...

BAM!

Nope. No luck yet.

I let out a scream, and the birds from the treetops flew into the air. I stared enviously at them. I had wanted to become a dragon, but I figured that I probably needed to start small, to a bird was the next thing that came to mind. I had considered asking Frank for help (the Romans would be visiting later today), since he had become both, but that would have been too much of a giveaway. The last thing I needed was for someone to know what I really was... that I was a monster.

In the distance, I heard the signal for dinner. I slowly made my way to the dining pavilion. As I walked, I ran my fingers through my hair. My red lock of hair changed to purple as soon as my fingers came in contact with it.

_Why is the _lame _power the one I can control? _I thought to myself.

Lost in my own thoughts, the journey to the pavilion took no time at all. I was soon sitting down next to my brothers and sisters. They all stared at me, but they didn't say anything as we burned sacrifices to our godly parent. Nor did they speak as I devoured four hotdogs. Finally, it was when dinner was almost over, and I was on my sixth hotdog, that Nyssa finally opened her mouth for reasons that were not eating.

"Was your hair always like that Leo?"

Everyone else focused their attention on me, Harley doing to rather admiringly.

"Well, no. I just got it today."

"But, why?" asked Jake.

"I just thought it looked cool," I replied, taking another bite from my hotdog.

"Why did you do purple?"

"Just random," I said, not taking my eyes off my food.

"I think you would look much better in red," said Harley.

_Hmm..._

"Well, maybe I will change it sometime," I said, smiling at Harley. He smiled back.

Chiron called us, and I suddenly remembered: it was Friday. Today, we play capture the flag.

I was on the red team, so when I thought that no one was looking I quickly changed the blue streak to red. Suddenly running on inspiration, I took out my small hand mirror that I now took everywhere I went and examined my refection. This was much more advanced than hair, or even eyes, but it was worth a shot. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them, I smiled.

On one of my cheeks was the word _Go, _while on the other was the word _Red! _

_If that isn't team spirit, I don't know what is, _I thought.

Feeling a lot of eyes bearing into me, I quickly put on armor and took out my hammer. My team consisted of a lot of good cabins, like the Aphrodite Cabin, the Zeus Cabin, and the Hades Cabin. That also counted for the Venus, Jupiter, and Pluto kids, that were now just starting to arrive. I waved at Hazel and Frank, who responded enthusiastically.

_At least he didn't bear-hug me._

But I still thought that the other team had a very unfair advantage. They had the Athena and Minerva kids, The Ares and Mars kids, the Apollo and Apollo kids, and Percy. They also had Reyna, which pretty much already states that they are going to win. But on the positive side, we also had the Nike kids, who practically _need _to win, the Hecate kids, and the Hermes kids. I caught the eye of Travis Stoll, and he winked at me. I then saw Katie Gardener (the Demeter Cabin was also on our team), who was staring at him with irritation. It was common knowledge at camp that Travis had a major crush on Katie, but he had a kind of... interesting way of showing it. Is interesting the right word of putting chocolate bunnies on the Demeter Cabin's roof?

The Nikes looked aggressive, and positively murderous. Good. The Demeter kids didn't show a lot of emotion, but I noticed that the grass beneath their feet was growing at a very rapid pace. Very good. The Hermes kids were staring at all of the blue-clad soldiers with glee. Excellent.

"Ok, guys," I said to my cabin, "You guys ready?"

They all yelled their agreement, and I smiled. I once again caught Travis's eye, and he motioned for me to come over. Once I was right next to him, he started to speak in a whisper.

"Conner and I are going to try to cause a diversion," he muttered, "We need a little help. Maybe something with a little... flare."

I grinned evilly.

"Flare is my specialty," I said, setting my hand on fire.

"Perfect," said Conner, appearing at his brother's side, "That is exactly what we need."

He whispered something in my ear, and my smile grew.

Then I saw Piper waving me over. Jason was next to her, looking fierce in his armor. I ran over to them. If they noticed my face, they didn't show it.

"Ok," said Piper, "Our job is to go get the flag. You coming?"

I nodded, and Jason gave me a thumbs up. Chiron then yelled at everyone to get in their positions. Then the horn blasted, and the game began.

Piper, Jason, and I ran away from the sound of metal hitting metal and made our way cautiously towards the flag. The sounds of fighting faded away in the distance. For about twenty minutes, a deadly silence lay over us like a heavy blanket. All of my senses said clearly to me, _danger_.

_What is going on? _Something _should have happened to us by now!_

Suddenly, a whizzing noise greeted my ears and I felt a sharp pain in my right arm. I turned to look at it, and I saw an arrow imbedded in my flesh. Piper and Jason, who were making their way through a clump of bushes, didn't hear it. Hoping that they didn't notice, for Piper would start fussing over me and attract unwanted attention, I pulled out the arrow shaft and threw it on the ground. The injury looked pretty severe, and it hurt like crazy, but I ignored it. Then I got Jason's attention.

"What is it?" whispered Jason.

I pointed at the arrow, and Jason immediately understood.

"Apollo kids," he muttered, "Let's keep going before-"

Suddenly, a bunch of Ares kids jumped out of the bushes that they were struggling to get through just moments before. I saw Clarisse leading the pack, her face showing triumph, like she had already won. The arrow had been a diversion.

Jason got out his sword and started fighting. Piper took out Katoptris and slashed at anything she could reach, sometimes using charmspeak. I was about to get out my hammer when Jason started shouting at me.

"Go! We will hold them off!"

I quickly did as I was told and ran. I heard Clarisse issuing orders to follow me, but Jason and Piper must have done their job, for no one came after me. After running for a while, I stopped to catch my breath. I was getting closer to the heart of the woods, and the sun had completely set by now. It was pitch black. I would have made a fire, but that would have acted like a smoke signal and give away my position.

I blinked, and everything changed.

I felt like I had suddenly put on a pair of night-vision goggles. Everything was suddenly clear. I could see the trees, and the stream, and something distinctly blue...

_The flag!_

I ran as quickly as I could, and then I heard a rustle above me. Suddenly, two figures dropped down from the tree, each carrying torches. I could make out Annabeth's piecing eyes and Percy's jet black hair. It had been an ambush.

"Nice try, Repair Boy," said Annabeth, "But in order to get the flag, you will have to go through us."

I knew that it was hopeless. I couldn't fight off both of them. I probably couldn't fight off _one _of them! But the flag was right over there. If I could just distract them...

Something else caught my eye. I saw two more figures in the tree tops, and I knew immediately who they were. I saw one of them, the shorter one, wave something at me. I immediately knew what I needed to do.

"Come on, Leo," said Percy, smiling, "You are now our prisoner. We already out-number you."

I smiled back.

"No, you don't."

Percy's smile grew, but Annabeth's was whipped off her face.

"Um, we sort of do," retorted Percy, "There is one of you, and two of us."

I refrained from looking up, even though I knew where my target was.

"Actually, it is three of me, and zero of you."

Before Percy could understand what I had said, or before Annabeth could knock me out with her sword, I shot a ball of fire into the air. The Stoll's malicious faces were illuminated for a fraction of a second before they threw the lit bomb at Percy and Annabeth.

BOOM!

Green smoke filled the air, and I heard Annabeth and Percy coughing nearby. I ran to the flag and doubled back with it in my hand. I herd two more pairs of footsteps beside me, and when we emerged from the smoke, Conner and Travis were grinning back at me.

"We got it!" I yelled, waving the flag.

Conner whooped, and we kept running. Then, I heard a growl. I realized what was about to happen right before it did. All I could do was yell, "DUCK!"

Only I managed to hit the ground in time. The huge shadow of Frank the Tiger pounced on the Stolls. They were knocked out cold.

Frank growled, and I backed up a little. Frank eyed the flag, and then me, and then back to the flag. His meaning couldn't have been clearer.

_Give me the flag, and I might not hurt you, _he seemed to say.

I didn't budge. My words seemed final to Frank, for he crouched down low on the ground, ready to pounce. but right before he jumped, he was lifted off the ground by a pile of jewels. I let out a sigh of relief.

"HAZEL!" I shouted, "I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!"

"Don't let Frank hear you say that," said Hazel, appearing at my side, "I think he is just unconscious. Let's move."

We kept running. Suddenly, a sword was pressed to my neck, and I froze. I stared into the eyes of Reyna.

"Well, who do we have here?" muttered Reyna, her voice barely a whisper, "Looks like we have a new prisoner to take to jail."

I saw a bunch of Romans cheer behind her. I bit back a curse. Then, another shout pierced the night. Connor and Travis had woken up.

There was confusion, and it only doubled when another battle cry greeted us. Piper and Jason were back, and they ran towards us.

_We're saved!_

Then, the happy moment was ruined. Percy and Annabeth joined the fight, and were quickly followed by Frank. The Ares kids and even a few of the Apollo campers came after them.

_We're doomed._

The only good thing about the situation was that Reyna had taken her sword tip off of my neck to assist the fighting. I couldn't run with the flag through the fighting. It would be worse than running through the woods alone on fire. I did the only thing I could do: I took out my hammer and helped Piper and Jason.

A growl once again pieced the air. Everyone stopped fighting.

_Great. Now Frank has come to join the fight, _I thought gloomily.

But then I noticed a polar bear in the middle of the field. Realization hit me like a trunk.

_Wait, if Frank's there, then who is that?_

My question was answered immediately when a giant hand grabbed Piper.

People started screaming, but no one felt as much fear as me. I looked at the three ugly faces that have haunted my nightmares ever since my first quest. I looked at those three faces that had only one eye each. I looked at the three Cyclopes.

Ma Gasket had returned.

She let out a great laugh, and her sons sat back, as though unsure of what exactly they were supposed to do. Then, she focused her attention to me.

"Get him!" she yelled.

The other Cyclopes didn't move.

"Go after him, you idiots!" Ma Gasket repeated.

They shifted slightly, but then one of them spoke. I recognized him as Torque in his toga.

"Us?"

Ma Gasket rolled her eye.

"Yes you, you nincompoop!"

They no longer hesitated. They charged straight at me, and I braced myself for the inevitable.

My vision changed again.

It looked like it was being played in slow motion. I saw Torque and his twin, Sump, running straight at me. If the situation wasn't so dire, it would have been pretty funny. I saw Gasket waving Piper in her hand, and she opened her mouth wide...

_No..._ I thought _This isn't happening! No!_

Pure rage filled every part of me. I wasn't going down like this. I am a fire user!

_No. Not a fire user. An Ash Bearer._

I let out a scream, and it transformed into a roar. The Cyclopes stopped in their tracks, their jaws open. I jumped.

I was flying through the air, and I landed on Sump's head. I bit into flesh, and I heard a scream. I tasted blood, but I didn't care. All I wanted was to hurt these monsters, the monsters that hurt the people I loved...

Sump turned to dust, and I charged at Torque. He started to flee, but I got there first. I scratched at his chest, and he turned to dust as well. I then turned to Ma Gasket. She had froze just like the others. Piper had an expression of horror, but she was not looking at Ma Gasket. She was looking at me.

I didn't care.

I felt something warm rise in my throat, like a hiccup. I felt it grow warmer and warmer, until it would have burned a normal man. I kept running, and my fury grew. I leaped into the air, into the sky, opened my jaw wide, and unleashed my wrath. A huge ball of fire was shot at the Cyclopes, and Ma Gasket was gone.

I stopped, breathing heavily. Piper was apparently unharmed, and Jason ran over to her. They all stared at me. But they looked afraid. Like I was the monster.

I tried to speak, but it came out as a growl. Everyone else backed up, and I froze.

_Why can't I talk?_

I looked down, and I saw my hand-mirror. It must have fallen out. I tried to stand up, but I immediately fell back onto my stomach. I caught a flash of black.

_No..._

I hurried over to the mirror, afraid of what I was going to see, and let out a gasp.

I was no longer Leo. My skin was pitch black, and my ears were long and flappy. My scales shone in the moonlight. The injury from the arrow was gone. My eyes were bright and green, and definitely not human. I opened my mouth to reveal a toothless mouth.

Toothless. That was what I had become. Or who I had become...

For I had become a Nightfury.

**REVIEW! YOU ARE AWESOME!**

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	7. I Get a Kiss from a Stranger

**OK! LET ME MAKE SOME STUFF PERFECTLY CLEAR!**

**I AM NOT DUMB! I KNOW THAT IT IS A REFERENCE FROM HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON! IT WILL BE EXPLAINED!**

**DOES IT SAY THAT IT IS A CROSSOVER!? NO! SO DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS!? IT MEANS THAT IT IS NOT A CROSSOVER!**

**DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?**

I tried to yell, to say something. To ask what was happening. But all that came out were warbles and roars.

_No... This isn't real. This can't be happening..._

But it had. I, Leo Valdez, had transformed for the first time in my life.

There was only one thing that made no sense, and that was how I had actually become a Nightfury. I remember watching the movie _How to Train Your Dragon _with the rest of the Seven just a week ago. That might have been why I had transformed into one. But I thought that they were made up! Were there actually real, live Nightfuries living among us? I was so disoriented that I couldn't think.

I kept trying to speak or communicate in a way that could be understood by everyone else, but they probably wouldn't have listened even if they could understand me. They all looked horrified, and were backing away from me. Even Piper and Jason were slowly moving away, fear in their eyes. I ran up to them, and kept warbling.

_Why are you backing away from me? It's me! Leo! You're best friend! You don't have to be afraid!_

But they just kept retreating. I turned away from them, and I saw Annabeth and Percy. I ran up to them.

_Percy! Annabeth! What is going on? There is nothing to be scared of!_

But they, like everyone else, backed away when I came close. I tried to turn too quickly, and I tripped over my two humongous bat-like wings. I didn_'_t know how I was able to fly before. I managed to get back up and I saw Hazel and Frank (who was now in human form). As I ran towards them, Hazel let out a high-pitched shriek. I didn't even try to talk to them, for I knew that they couldn't understand me. There was no point. They thought I was a monster. They _knew _that I was a monster.

I did what I did when I was eight, after my mom's death. I did what I did six times after that. I did the only thing I was good at. I ran.

The demigods in my way hastily moved to clear a path for me. I heard someone yell. I ignored them. I quickly emerged from the forest. I didn't try to fly. I just ran without becoming tired. I ran without purpose, without meaning...

I felt myself catch on fire. The next thing I knew, I was running on two legs instead of four. My normal, skin-toned hands were pumping furiously at my sides. Miraculously, I had clothes on. I felt my curls bouncing on my head. I was once again Leo Valdez...

But I was still a monster.

I finally stopped at Half-Blood Hill. I rested a hand on Thalia's tree. I didn't stop because I was tired. In fact, I was bursting will energy. I stopped because I couldn't go on. I was broken.

I started to cry.

I felt the tears fall. I couldn't do anything. I was a monster. I could have hurt someone. And I might hurt someone in the future...

I reached into my tool belt and pulled out a long knife. I knew what I needed to do. It was the only way I could protect everyone from myself. I was dangerous.

I held the knife out in front of me, the point directed at my chest. I took a deep breath, probably the last one I will ever take. I didn't care. I saw my reflection in the knife. My hair had turned completely red. But not bright red. Dark red. A deep red, like the color of blood...

My eyes, once again, were the same almond shape and color of the girl I had fallen in love with. The girl who was waiting for me. The girl who will wait forever for a guy who will never return...

I blinked my eyes furiously, as though if I did so hard enough my tears would just magically go away. It didn't work. My reflection in the knife was blurred by a single tear that had fallen on the blade.

I didn't think. I didn't hesitate. Before I lost my courage, my last ounce of strength, and plunged the knife into my heart.

I was numb. My mixed feelings, and my confusion, must have been the reason. Because, though the knife was embedded defiantly in my chest, I felt no pain. I took out the knife. Still no pain.

My fear increased by a tenfold. I ripped my shirt off and stared at my bare chest. There was no mark. No blood.

I remembered Annabeth saying Ash Bearers were immortal. I finally let that message sink in... I couldn't die. I couldn't be killed. I could still hurt people. I could still hurt Piper or Jason, or any of the rest of the Seven.

I sobbed openly now. It must have been raining, for my hair felt wet. I felt the water spreading, dampening my clothes. If my eyes had been open, for they were shut tightly to try to stop the stream of tears, I would have known better.

Ignorance is bliss.

Suddenly, I felt a sharp, piercing pain in my chest, right where my heart would be. I stopped crying, and cringed in pain. I held my hand over my chest. It was around where I stabbed myself with the knife. Did it really work?

But this pain was different. It felt like something was trying to get out of me. Like something was trapped. The pain seemed to be increasing. Within seconds, I was writhing on the ground, yelling into the night. The tears started falling once again. They only made the pain worse.

I didn't care if I died. I just wanted the pain to end. So what if the thing inside me wanted to get out? Go ahead! Go get some fresh air! Go grab a latte at Dunkin' Donuts! Just stop the pain...

I started to feel dizzy, and stars popped in and out of vision. Was I looking up? Was I looking down? Was I underwater? Was I in outer space? I didn't know where I was. I didn't know _who_ I was...

Then I knew. I didn't know my name, for I had none. But I knew what I was. I was about the size of a grizzly bear, except slightly bigger. I had horns, and my eyes glowed white. I was fast. But I couldn't test out my new speed, for I couldn't move. I was blacking out. I was letting the thing inside me take over...

I saw someone above me. It was a girl. She was really pretty, but not as pretty as Calypso. She looked about the same age as me. She had long, blonde hair that cascaded down her shoulders and green eyes, like two sparkling emeralds. She had many freckles on her face. She looked very thin, like she didn't eat much. She also looked pale. But it was hard to tell, for my vision was dimming.

I felt something warm on my forehead. It felt comforting, like the feeling ambrosia gives you when you eat it. The pain was going away. The beast inside me retreated back into its shadowy depths from where it came from. I knew who I was. I was Leo Valdez.

I was a monster.

My vision was still fading, and right before I closed my eyes I saw that inside those two emerald green eyes, there was a small flame.

_An Ash Bearer._

The girl smiled at me, and comprehension dawned on me. She had kissed my forehead. I would have told her that I was taken, but exhaustion made speech impossible at the moment. But I wouldn't have the chance anyway. I blinked, and the girl was gone.

Then everything was gone...

**I HOPE YOU ARE HAPPY! AND NO, I AM NOT HAPPY!**

**YOU ARE WELCOME! SORRY I AM YELLING, BUT I AM NOT IN A GOOD MOOD!**

**Hey, that rhymes!**

***slaps myself***

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	8. I Get My Memories Back

**Hi...**

**I am really sorry about before. That wasn't ok, and I shouldn't have let my anger out on you. I need to get used to flames, especially since this chapter is called 'Flame Guardian'.**

**And I want to give a special shout out to Winekita for writing such a sweet PM. Please read Winekita's stories. They are amazing!**

**Now, here is chapter eight! sorry for the long update**

I have _got _to stop waking up in the hospital.

Well, I guess that, if you are a demigod, you spend half of your life in a hospital. But that didn't stop me letting out a small groan when I once again woke up to find myself once again in the soft, warm sheets of the all-too-familiar infirmary. When I opened my eyes, I gazed into those two golden orbs.

You would have figured that I learned my lesson, right? Wrong. I immediately flung up and banged my head for the trillionth time.

"Ow!" I yelled.

"Ow! Sorry!" said Hazel.

While rubbing my head, I looked around. This time, Hazel was accompanied. The rest of the Seven were standing there, all looking awkward except Piper (who looked like she wanted to fling her arms around my neck).

"Um, hi," I said quietly.

I remembered the look of fear on their faces when I approached them. I didn't even know why they came. Didn't they think I was dangerous? Didn't they think that I was a monster?

"Are you alright?" asked Annabeth.

I stared at them, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Now _they _looked confused.

"That _thing _had attacked you!" Piper exclaimed.

"Huh? What attacked me?"

"We don't know exactly what it is," admitted Frank, "But it looked like a black dragon."

Everything all the sudden made sense.

"We thought you were dead," said Percy, "But luckily, we found you on Half-Blood Hill."

"There was a knife lying next to you," said Jason, taking out the small knife that I had tried to commit suicide with, "Did someone else attack you?"

I looked down. I couldn't meet their eyes.

"No," I mumbled, "I wasn't attacked..."

And I told them the whole story. I didn't cry. I was almost certain that the tears had something to do with the pain I had felt. It wasn't because of the pain (although I would prefer a little less pain in life). It was because of the feeling that something sinister was trying to get out of me. To possess me...

And who was that girl? I didn't recognize her. But she had healed me. She was definitely an Ash Bearer. Was she my other sister? What was her name, Amy? What if it was Sarah, but in a different form? What if it wasn't any of my siblings, but a random Fire User?

These thoughts were jumbled up in my head as I finished my tale. They all looked at me like they had just met me. Hazel had tears in her eyes. The sight almost made me join her.

A deadly silence hung in the air. It must have been years until anyone even moved at all. It was Piper, and she walked up to me and hugged me. I was shocked.

"I am so sorry you had to deal with this, Leo," said Piper.

"B-but, don't you- I mean- Aren't you afraid?"

Annabeth laughed.

"Leo, trust me. I have seen more frightening things in my life than one of my friends turning into a dragon."

"Really?" I asked.

"Hey, I can also turn into a dragon!" protested Frank, "Why didn't _I _get this kind of attention!"

"Hazel kissing you wasn't enough?" asked Percy, smirking.

Hazel and Frank both blushed.

"And remember during our first quest? I had that vision that I kept a secret from you and Jason?" reminded Piper.

"Oh yeah," said Jason, "You were scared that we would hate you."

"And you didn't," said Piper, smiling.

"And what about Nico?" said Hazel, "He was..."

"Different?" suggested Frank.

"Different," agreed Hazel, "And yet, Camp Half-Blood took him in."

"But-"

"No buts, Leo," interrupted Annabeth, "Please. We can help you learn how to control your powers! Then you won't have to be afraid!"

I shook my head. The last thing I wanted was to go out there and start testing out my new powers. What if I hurt someone? People already probably thought that I was weird. And that _thing _inside of me wasn't exactly settling...

"Come on!" said Percy, "I can douse you if you get too carried away!"

That pulled a small smile, and I finally nodded. My friends were cheering, and I forced another smile. But inside, all I wanted was to curl up into a corner and die.

* * *

><p>"Ok, Leo," said Jason, standing a few feet away from me along with everyone else. Our little scene had drawn a few spectators.<p>

"You can do it! Turn into the dragon!"

Not on my watch.

I pretended to be concentrating. I caught myself on fire, and waited a few seconds. Then, I extinguished it and panted, pretending to be tired. Everyone looked at me in pity, but Annabeth just laughed.

"Please try for real, Leo," she said gently, "We won't hurt you."

"That isn't what I'm worried about, " I mumbled.

"You think you will hurt _us?_" exclaimed Frank, "Leo, we fight monsters everyday!"

"I know, but-"

"You don't think we can handle ourselves?" demanded Jason.

"Of course I-"

"We don't think that you're-"

"I KNOW!"

Everyone stepped back. A small shriek managed to escape from Hazel before she could stop it. For a moment I was confused, but then I reached for the hand mirror and examined my reflection. I was exactly the same except for my eyes.

They had become red, and had slits for pupils. I looked like one of those evil monsters in horror movies. No wonder they were afraid. Then I noticed something else I didn't notice before... I had fangs. Then I realized that I was deadly pale...

I quickly set fire to myself and changed back to normal. There was _no way _that I would _ever _transform into a vampire willingly. I wanted to hug my arm when I saw that my familiar tan was back. I didn't even look up at my friends before I ran...

* * *

><p>Today was worse than when I found out about my powers. I got stares everywhere I went. If I wasn't too scared, I would have turned into something small and difficult to see, like a bird. Or maybe even a fly... Although, maybe if I did that, people would try to catch me with chopsticks. Hey, I know that it is weird! But it has been a thing ever since the whole camp watched <em>Karate Kid <em>at one memorable campfire.

My hair constantly changed different colors. One second it would be purple, and the next it would be green, and then bright yellow. Soon, it looked almost exactly like a kaleidoscope. I don't know about the rest of my appearance, but given the stares and looks of horror I was given, I was probably safe to guess that my eyes had made a few unnecessary changes as well.

Whenever I saw a familiar face, I would immediately hide. I couldn't face them. They would just want me to keep trying to use my powers. I couldn't let them do that.

The whistle around my neck felt very heavy. I was still deciding on whether or not to blow it. It would make my friends safer, but a part of me (the selfish part) didn't want to part with them. They were the first true friends I have had in a long time. But that made leaving all the more important...

During campfire, I saw away from everyone. None of my siblings had spoken to me during dinner, and I was half thankful for that. The less questions, the better.

The Apollo kids led everyone in the sing-a-long. I wasn't singing. The rising campfire was a little too close to home...

Suddenly, the campfire turned bright white. Everyone stopped singing, and a deadly silence hung in the air. Everyone immediately turned to me.

"I didn't do that!" I protested, "I don't know what's-"

I suddenly stopped. I could hear the fire crackling in a very peculiar way, like it was trying to tell me something...

A voice suddenly boomed from the fire. I recognized it instantly.

_Sarah..._

**"We have taken your memories as to keep you safe from the Ash Bearer. But given certain circumstances, it is high time that we returned them. I hope to see you soon, brother."**

The campfire exploded, and the pearly-white fire blew out in every direction. A few people screamed and covered their heads. I tried to stop the fire, but there was a kind of magic in the fire that prevented me from stopping it. I only watched helplessly as the fire washed over everyone. But instead of them yelling out in pain, they got a dazed expression. Jason was blinking quickly, and then his eyes found me.

"Leo? But... you're alive?"

The fire reached me, and I remembered. I had rescued Calypso, and we were flying on Festus. Suddenly, we were hit by a hurricane. And then we had both fallen...

"Calypso!" I suddenly exclaimed. Everyone jumped at the suddenly screaming, but I didn't care.

Where was she? Everything was clicking into place... Festus... Calypso...

I remembered that we were falling, and that I was trying to get to Calypso, but something grabbed me. Something that felt like a talon. The last thing I had seen were brown feathers before I blacked out...

_Sarah._

_She knows,_ I thought to myself,_ She must have been there!_

I didn't notice that I had caught on fire, but everyone else did. They were backing away from me. Finally, I took notice of the raging flames that encased me, and quickly tried to extinguish them. But instead of the fire dying down, they rose even higher.

"Leo."

That was Piper. I quickly turned to the sound of her voice. She wasn't panicking like everyone else. She wore a calm expression. Jason was next to her, wearing the same look on his face.

"Calm down, Leo. It's-"

"IT'S NOT FINE!" I roared.

Without meaning to, I shot a fireball at Piper. With a yelp, Jason jumped in front of her and shielded her. The fireball skimmed his right arm. He let out a cry of pain, and Piper screamed. I stared at my hands, horrified.

_What have I done?_

Percy and Annabeth were trying to push through the panicking crowd to get to me. I saw Frank and Hazel struggling to calm everyone down. I just stood there, not wanting to exist.

Jason getting hurt was the last straw.

I leaped into the air, extending my arms and setting myself on fire. I beat my new wings and soared into the sky. I heard more screams, and Piper yelling at me to come back. Her charmspeak didn't effect me. Nothing did. I was my own person.

But I was a monster.

I flew until Half-Blood Hill was in sight, and I landed once again next to the tree. I changed back with ease, hating myself for it. I didn't hesitate this time to yank the whistle from around my neck.

"I'm on my way, Sarah," I said into the night.

I put the whistle to my lips, and blew.


	9. I Get a Nightfury Friend

**Hey people of the world!**

**A few days ago was my birthday! yay! Although you probably don't care. So whatever.**

**I had so much fun writing this chapter! I hope you enjoy it!**

As soon as I blew into that tiny whistle, all of my troubles were gently blown away as well. I felt alive. I felt _happy._

For the first time in forever, I laughed.

My laughter filled the night. I found myself punching the air and running around with an air of triumph, even though I wasn't sure what I had won. My happiness seemed to expand with me, like a bubble. I felt myself catch fire. This time, instead of extinguishing my flames, I let them burn. Where I was going, I didn't need to be careful. I didn't need to fear hurting anyone. For I was going to a place where there were people like me. Other Ash Bearers!

Then I managed to gather my emotions and extract something from the mass. I realized that I was excited. It was the same feeling that I felt as I rode that chariot with Piper, Jason, Annabeth, and Macho Rainbow Pony Guy. But I was wrong to feel that way before.

Then a terrible thought occurred to me. What if this feeling has ill tidings as well? I had made plenty of mistakes before, I won't deny that. But if this is wrong, than I would be alone. That would be something I wouldn't be able to face. As much as I dread company, especially those of girls, I had come to depend on it. But I firmly told myself that this wasn't wrong. I would make it through this, and I would start anew. And besides, I would have a family to help me along the way.

My feeling of joy returned. I felt like I could fly. I _wanted _to fly, to experience that kind of freedom. The freedom I hadn't experienced in such a long time.

And that was exactly what I did.

I was currently still on fire, so the transformation was so easy I laughed at the thought that just a few days ago, I had managed to fail so many times in a row. But my laugh had come out as a warble, for I had once again become the Nightfury who's memory had haunted me for hours at a time. With a mighty jump and a strong flap of my bat-like wings, I was soaring through the air effortlessly. I built up that warm feeling in my throat, and I let loose a fireball. I didn't care if that attracted everyone in the entire camp. They couldn't force me to change my decision. I was my own person.

And for the first time, I didn't feel like a monster.

I had a strong urge to start singing _Let it Go, _but I managed to master the impulse. That would had been fun to explain to my sister.

_My twin._

I now didn't care that I didn't remember her. I had a sister, and that was all that mattered. I was definitely close friends with my cabin, but there was some kind of barrier between us that made us siblings. There was nothing in between me and Sarah, not even my fire abilities. I was free.

Then I heard a peculiar noise. They sounded like the flapping of wings, and I could tell by the rhythm and the fact that they overlapped each other that the beating wasn't mine.

_Sarah! She is here!_

The eagle had come for me once more. I frantically started turning in mid-air, hoping to catch a glimpse of the golden-brown feathers. But I saw nothing, just the suffocating night that, if I wasn't a Nightfury, would have blinded me. I quickly landed, in hope that I could track the sound of the beating wings to their owner. Sure enough, I heard only the flapping of my sister somewhere above me. But the flapping sounded different then when she was an eagle. They sounded heavier, and almost exactly like mine. And then I didn't hear them at all.

I knew what was happening a second too late.

Something heavy and black pounced on me, and I yet out a yelp. Soon, I was pinned to the ground. I gazed back into two huge green orbs, and even in the blackness the black scales shone.

My Nightfury companion released me, and gave me a toothless smile. She then started to speak in the language that only the two of us shared.

_"Leo! It is so good to see you again!" _Exclaimed Sarah.

_"It is great to see you too, Sarah! I missed you." _I replied.

_"I thought you would _never _blow that whistle. And look at you! You have had your first transformation!"_

_"It isn't that much of a big deal..." _I muttered sheepishly.

_"Isn't that much of a big deal! _Sarah sounded outraged, yet she had an air of bemusement, _An Ash Bearer's first transformation is something to be proud of! It is something to celebrate! My first transformation was the eagle! And look at you! A Nightfury! Interesting choice, by the way. What made you choose it?_

Sarah had said all of this very quickly, and it took me a second to process her words.

_"Um, I'm not sure-"_

_"Oh! Is it because you have seen the movie _How to Train your Dragon_? I _love _that movie! The second one was awesome, too! Have you seen that one? Hey! Maybe your scales can glow blue, too! Should we try it?_

It seemed that Sarah had at least as much ADHD as myself, if not more. I couldn't help but be impressed.

_"I don't know," _I replied, _"Maybe later."_

_"Ok,_ said Sarah cheerfully, _"Ok, you ready to go?"_

Out of everything Sarah had said, these few words took the longest to process. I cast one look over my shoulder at Camp Half-Blood, from which I could faintly hear yelling. I turned back to Sarah before I could run back to the place that had been my home.

_"Yes."_

_"Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's fly!"_

Sarah leaped into the air and flew into the heavens. I didn't hesitate this time. I jumped into the air to face my destiny.

Then something happened. I felt a strong impulse to land, to go back. But this wasn't normal. It was like it was forced against my will, and that something was pulling me back. I struggled against it, but the more I struggled the stronger the will became.

_Come back._

I beat my wings harder, but it didn't seem to shake the feeling off.

_Leo, we need you. Come back._

Then I realized what was happening. I was being charmspeaked. And there was only one person I knew who would want me to come back who had charmspeak. I looked down, and I saw that a small crowd had formed below me. They had found us.

Sure enough, Piper was distinguishable somewhere in the middle of the group. She stared at me with intensity that could have rivaled Annabeth's piercing gaze. I stared back at her just as sternly. I saw her mouth move, but her words were only distinguishable within my thoughts and feelings.

_Come back._

And then I saw Sarah next to me. She was staring at me, and looked confused. I gave her what I hope was a reassuring smile, and turned back to Piper. Sarah must have understood me better than I thought, for she too gazed in the direction of the daughter of Aphrodite. Then, her gaze turned hard, and she started to growl.

_"No!" _I cried out, _"Don't hurt her!'_

Either Sarah understood, or attacking Piper was never her first intention. Either way, instead of diving towards the Charmspeaker, or even letting loose a fireball, Sarah let out a roar so loud that even I cringed away from the sound that threatened to break my eardrums. But it must have been enough to distract Piper, for the feeling of returning back to those who were vulnerable to my wrath vanished. Before Piper could resume her magic, I flew as quickly as I could after Sarah.

The last thing I heard was crying, and a voice that sounded familiar. It wasn't charmspeak, but the voice was far more powerful than Piper's, and much harder to fight off.

_"Leo, we need you. Come back!"_

The I realized that it was Harley. I fought off the urge to cry out to him, and kept on flying.

_"I need you."_

**I seriously almost cried as I wrote that last part! I think I am crying right now! GET IT TOGETHER, ME!**

**Please review! In the next chapter, you will meet Jonah, Amy, and little Sammy! U R AWESOME!**

**Catsrawesome**


	10. I Get Strangled By All My Relitives

**Um.. hi?**

***gets tomatos thrown at her***

**Ok, I get it! I know I haven't been updating! I KNOW THAT I AM A TERRIBLE PERSON FOR NOT UPDATING!**

**But the wait is finally over! And I made it especially long!  
><strong>

**In this chapter, you meet Jonah, Amy, and little Sammy! I know you have been waiting! Enjoy lucky chapter number ten!**

After only a few minutes of flying, the sound of yelling (and the effects of charmspeak) were drowned out.

I didn't think it was possible to feel bad with my sister beside me, but the feeling of depression inside of me was unmistakable. But we weren't long in the air when my sister broke the silence.

_"So, we definitely have a lot of catching up to do!" _she blurted out. She must have sensed my feeling of melancholy. Either that, or talking a lot was just in her nature.

_"What is your favorite food?"_

I gratefully opened my mouth to speak, but before I could utter a word Sarah had continued to talk.

_"I have always been rather fond of Mexican food, because what's not to like? Almost everything is spicy! I love salsa. And don't forget about tacos! And enchiladas! Oh, the thought of enchiladas makes me hungry..."_

And on and on it went. The thought of enchiladas had also made my enormous stomach grumble, but the feeling of homesickness was worse. I remembered one time when, for dinner, Camp Half Blood had served enchiladas. Only Grover managed to make it to the table before me. I remember sitting with my friends at the Poseidon table, being one of the many groups to ignore the "No Switching Tables" rule in honor of the occasion, being that at the time the Romans had visited. I was painfully reminded of the Capture the Flag game in which I had my first transformation. Why did I have to become something so dangerous? Why couldn't I have been an eagle, like Sarah? Or maybe something tamer, like a dog?

_"-and only then did I realize that I had sauce dripping down my shirt! It was _so _embarrassing! Jonah was laughing like crazy! At least, until I punched him in the face and broke his nose. I know he could have healed himself, but so what? His little high-pitched scream was still satisfying to hear."_

I shook myself out of my daze and nodded.

_"Tell me about my family,"_ I said before Sarah could interrupt me.

Sarah paused for only half a second.

_"Well, Jonah is the oldest in the family. He is eighteen. Like all Ash Bearers, he can change his appearance, but the form he normally takes is brown hair, green eyes, and a strong build. But he is only a little bigger than you and me. He is a bit of a dare-devil, and isn't afraid of anything. He has almost as much energy as me! Amy is the second oldest. She has long, curly blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes, and always smells like roasted marshmallows for some weird reason. Maybe she wears perfume. I think perfume is a bit overrated, to tell you the truth. I mean, I think I smell fine! Why would I want so smell like marshmallows anyway? Someone would probably try to eat me. And of course, that would really hurt-"_

I cleared my throat as politely as I could.

_"Sorry!"_ said Sarah sheepishly,_ "I get side-tracked pretty easily! Now, where was I? Oh, yeah! So, Amy is a bit of a girly-girl. She likes doing makeup, nails, ect. Not always the most fun to hang out with. But she is my only sister. So, next in the family are us. I am pretty sure you know a lot about me already, and I am positive you know exactly who_ you _are!"_

She probably was trying to be humorous, but I felt no humor. Her statement could not have been more wrong. I had no idea who I was.

_"And, last but not least, Sammy! He looks a bit like you, actually, except his eyes are bright purple and he is much smaller. He is only six, but he is pretty smart for his age. You have no idea how excited he was when he heard that he was going to meet you."_

Sarah beamed at me, and I couldn't help but feel love for Sammy. I couldn't wait to meet him, too, and the rest of my family.

But something was wrong. I just couldn't figure out what it was.

_"Look!" _Sarah suddenly exclaimed, _"We're here!"_

Sure enough, the jungle terrain had revealed itself to us as we descended. Sarah and I dived side-by-side into the mouth of the volcano. Right before we hit the cavern floor, Sarah transformed in mid-air and landed on the floor as herself, rolling to protect her legs from injury. Eager to impress my twin, I transformed as well. The transformation went well enough. I was Good Ol' Leo once again. The only problem was the landing. Instead of landing and rolling to avoid injury, I fell on both of my feet. Pain erupted in my legs, and before I knew it I was writhing on the ground. Sarah was above me in seconds.

"Are you ok?" She asked me, looking horrified.

I managed to nod.

"Here, let me help you."

She clapped her hands once, and started rubbing them together like they were cold. I might have imagined it, but I thought that I saw sparks fly from it. Of course, I wouldn't have been that surprised if it _wasn't_ my imagination.

After rubbing her hands together for about a minute, she slapped them on both of my legs. As soon as they came into contact with each other, my legs burst into flame. I let out a yelp of surprise and pain, but the fire vanished only a second later. And the fire wasn't the only thing that had vanished. My legs didn't hurt anymore. I cautiously moved my right leg, and then my left. No pain.

"You have healing magic?" I asked, impressed.

"All Ash Bearers can heal themselves, plus other Ash Bearers," Sarah replied, looking pleased with her work, "We can't heal anyone else, though. We would just burn them."

"Awesome," was all I said.

"Ok. Now, let us pause a minute to look back at this."

I was not expecting this. I looked up at Sarah, confused.

"Leo, what is the moral of this story?"

"Huh?" I got up to my feet and stared at Sarah, as if I could figure out what her tactic was by just looking at her, "What story?"

"The story when an idiot named Leo Valdez decided to try a crazy transforming stunt that only Ash Bearers who have had years of practice could do," replied Sarah in a matter-of-fact tone, staring at me with an expression that was similar to one a mother would have when she caught her child doing something wrong. I was speechless. Sarah had as much cheek as I did!

"So," Sarah continued, "What is the moral of this story?"

"Um..." I wondered.

Sarah shook her head, her expression staying the same.

"The moral is not to do crazy transforming stunts without practice!" she said, like it was completely obvious.

I couldn't help myself. I laughed. I don't remember laughing this hard in such a long time. Maybe not ever. Sarah looked confused for a moment, and then shrugged and joined in the laughter.

I heard a loud shriek.

At first, I thought it was Sarah, who must have transformed again into an eagle. But then I saw Sarah, completely normal, looking around for the source of the noise. The shriek sounded out again. This time, it sounded clearer, and I realized that it didn't sound like any noise an eagle would make. It sounded like...

A monkey?

I heard the shriek a third time, and it sounded closer. Very close. Sarah smiled, and pointed somewhere upward.

My eyes widened at what I saw.

It was definitely a monkey. It had pitch black fur, red eyes, and was hanging by its tail from a small ledge that must have been formed from cooled-down lava. But do normal monkeys have purple wings, claws, and fangs? Because this one did. As soon as we made eye contact, it shrieked, leapt off the ledge, and landed in front of me with a huge _whoosh _from its humongous wings. At first, we just stared at each other, and then the flying monkey suddenly burst into flames. When the flamed died down, an eighteen year old boy was in its place. He stared accusingly at Sarah.

"Why didn't you tell me you were picking Leo up!?" Jonah exclaimed.

He looked just like Sarah described him, with brown hair and green eyes. His features weren't as muscular as I imagined them to be, but he was definitely not as scrawny as I was. I guess Sarah over exaggerates a few stuff.

Said Ash Bearer just shrugged. Jonah then stared at me. I looked down at my feet, lost at what to say, but then I felt myself being wrapped up in a hug.

"I missed you so much," said Jonah, his voice laced with emotion.

His tone must have had some sort of effect on me, because I started to hug Jonah back as hard as he was hugging me. I tried not to cry.

Jonah suddenly released me. I felt ashamed. Did I do something wrong? Is it even possible to hug someone the wrong way? Then Jonah started shouting at nowhere in particular.

"You had to come _now?" _Jonah yelled, "We were having a moment!"

His voice, I realized, was almost just like mine, though it was much more mature than mine due to age. I smiled a little at the thought.

"Come on, Jonah," said Sarah, "She wants to see him as much as you do."

"Who does?" I asked.

Then I heard what Jonah must have heard before. It was a low growl, almost indistinguishable. But this time, I could make out where the sound was coming from. I quickly found the location of the sound, which happened to be two glowing yellow eyes.

That's not creepy at all, right?

The two eyes blinked, and then the owner of the eyes emerged from the shadows. At first glance, I thought that it was a polar bear. But upon closer inspection, I realized that it was a cat with snow-white fur. Then I noticed black stripes on the fur, and I realized that I was looking at a Bengal Tiger.

The tiger stretched, yawned, and then leaped majestically down to the level we were on. The tiger walked with the grace of a ballerina. It was a beautiful creature. Then I realized that this must be another Ash Bearer.

Sure enough, as the tiger prowled towards us, she burst into flame. As she kept walking, she transformed into a woman a little younger than Jonah with beautiful features and long blonde hair. Her eyes were such a deep blue that I thought they held the ocean itself. I realized that this must be Amy.

Amy smiled, her perfect white teeth almost shining, and ran over to hug me. She released me quicker than Jonah, though, and started making a big deal of fussing over me.

"You have gotten so big since the last time I saw you!" Amy said, holding my face with two hands like I was a two year-old, "You are so grown up!"

I heard Sarah and Jonah start to snicker. Sarah sent a cheerful little wave at me, while Jonah started mimicking Amy's motherly behavior. I sent a glare in their direction, which only made them giggle more. However, all of this went unnoticed by Amy.

"I have been waiting quite a while to see you, and in my opinion it has been _much_ too long! But I suppose that doesn't really matter now, does it? Since you are here now?"

I managed to shrug. I was currently unable to talk, for Amy was pinching my cheeks. I shot a frantic look at Jonah and Sarah and mouthed, _HELP ME!_

Jonah got the message. Or maybe they both got the message, but Sarah was too busy laughing.

"Um, Amy," said Jonah, tapping Amy on the shoulder, "I think we should let Sam have some time with Leo."

Amy looked up at Jonah, obviously annoyed.

"Well, he isn't here, is he-"

But before she could finish her sentence, Jonah whistled. Sarah looked ready to wet her pants. Amy looked ready to strangle Jonah. I probably looked ready to suffocate.

"You had to call him, didn't you?" said Amy, scowling.

"Come on, he really wants to see his brother!" protested Jonah.

"Well, I really want Pink Bubblegum Lipstick and a Dragon-Skin purse, but we don't always get what we want, do we?" argued Amy.

"This is going to take a while," whispered Sarah. who had walked over to stand next to me, "Do you think I have time to grab some popcorn?"

I opened my mouth to answer that she should do whatever she wanted, but I was interrupted by the sound of pounding feet. It sounded like someone was running.

"Oh, here comes Sammy," said Sarah, her smile becoming broader, "I should probably step back."

And Sarah did just that. Jonah and Amy, who must have heard the running as well, stopped arguing and stepped over to where Sarah was. By now, I was too exhausted to be confused, so I just looked around for the sound of the noise. But it seemed to be coming from the Lavafall itself, which made no sense.

At least, not until a figure jumped through it and landed squarely on my chest, knocking the wind out of me and making me fall on my back.

Before I could muster the energy to open my eyes, I felt something wet on my cheek. My eyes shot open, and I stared into two bright purple eyes. The animal jumped off of me, and I got up to a sitting position. The creature wasn't a dog. I was sure of it. To me, it looked like a wolf, though not a very old one. In fact, it looked like a pup. The wolf pup had grey and white fur, and pointed ears. In fact, the only color on it were its purple eyes. It barked, and licked me again. A laugh escaped my mouth and I scratched its ears. As if I had pressed a button, the wolf caught on fire and turned into the youngest of all the Ash Bearers I encountered so far.

"Leo, you're here!" squealed Sammy.

He climbed back on my chest and started hugging me. I struggled to get up, but Sam wasn't a light kid. Though he was only six, he seemed to have done a bit of training himself. But I somehow managed to get to a standing position, Sam still hanging from my neck. Sarah and Jonah were laughing hysterically, while Amy was wearing an expression that was both distasteful and amused.

"Come on, Leo!" said Sammy, sounding like he just found out he was going to Disney World, "I want to show you everything! And after that, we could play tag, or maybe Hide and Seek! Oh boy, you are so much taller than I imagined. And your hair is so cool! I wish I had hair like that! I want to touch it!"

After I had met Sarah, I was sure that nothing would surprise me. But Sam seemed to have more energy than a pack of wild rhinos. I laughed, and decided not to mention that he had the exact same hair that I had.

"Come on, slow poke! Giddy up!"

Sam managed to reposition himself so that he was riding me piggy-back. He pulled the collar of my shirt like reins, and I almost choked.

"He's right!" said Jonah, completely oblivious to my plight, "Let's go show you the entire volcano!"

Without a moments hesitation, he ran into the Lavafall. Amy sighed, but she followed him through.

"Are you coming now?" asked Sarah.

I stared into the falling liquid-fire, and smiled.

"You bet I am."

And with a laughing Sammy on my shoulders and a hyperactive Sarah by my side, I walked through the lava to face what was behind it.

But sitting on a ledge that Amy had just previously occupied as a tiger sat a creature more majestic than even a Nightfury. Her golden fur was like sunlight, and her claws could cut through diamond. Her wings were every bit as brilliant as Sarah's. In fact, they were almost identical. Though they looked rather odd on the back of the King of the Jungle. Or in this case, the Queen.

The Griffon watched them leave, and then took off into the boiling lava. Little did she know that she wasn't the only eavesdropper.

**I will give ten thousand cookies to whoever guesses who the Griffon is! Actually, I only got one guess for the girl who saved Leo! I WANT MORE GUESSES!**

**Please...**

**So, R&R, hug your cat, eat cake until you throw up, blah blah blah. YOU ARE AWESOME!**

**catsrawesome**


	11. I Get Thrown into a Hole

**I want to give a shout-out to a guest reviewer named Matt for inspiring me enough to write another chapter! Thank you so much Matt for writing such a kind, sweet review. It really got me excited to keep writing. Well, thanks to you, I am never going to give up on this story. I am going to stick with it until the end.**

**Also, thank you for thinking about the fact that this story is just a work of fiction, and that the outcome is not that big of a deal. And also thanks for kindly acknowledging the fact that my story isn't as good as the other amazing stories, but that might be because I might be younger and less experienced than those writers and that I trying to improve. Everyone, give Matt a big hand! :U ROCK MATT! :)**

**Everyone else who reviewed, u r awesome! I love you all so much!**

My ADHD imagination went wild as I thought about what would be behind the Lavafall. Maybe some kind of bunker like Bunker Nine. Or a torch-lit cavern that went on forever. Or maybe an endless maze of rock towers. Hey, you never know what could be on an enchanted island! For what I knew, I could be entering a sunlit meadow.

But when I saw what was behind the lava, my jaw dropped. It was incredible. It was beyond anything I could have imagined.

It was a room. A closed off, stone room. There wasn't a single door, and the only exit was the way we came in. The only unusual thing about the room was an irregularly shaped rock that jutted out one side of the room.

I stared at Sarah.

"This is it?" I asked her, "I thought you said that there were hundreds of Ash Bearers on this island. I doubt that a hundred people could fit in here."

Sarah gave me a knowing smile, then turned to Jonah.

"Ok, Jonah. We're all ready."

"Ready for what?" I asked.

Jonah didn't answer. Is today, like, Let's all Confuse Leo Day or something?

Jonah suddenly spoke.

"Three," he started to count down.

Sammy suddenly ran over to Amy, who picked him up. I gave Amy a helpless look, but she only answered the same way Sarah and Jonah had: not saying a single word.

"Two," continued Jonah.

"I have a bad feeling about this," I mumbled. Sarah heard me, and laughed.

"One," finished Jonah, "DOWN WE GO!"

_Down?_ I thought

But my question was answered when Jonah pulled down on the weird rock, and as it clicked I realized that it was a switch. But I didn't really have time to register this, for the floor suddenly was pulled away from my feet and I was in a free-fall.

I started to scream, though I am embarrassed to say that I was the only one. Jonah was falling in a steep dive, whooping. Amy was calmly falling above all of us, and Sammy had his hands up and was laughing, like this was some fun roller coaster ride and not a fall to our deaths. Sarah was falling beside me.

"What happened to no crazy stunts!?" I shouted.

"I said no crazy _transformation _stunts!" she yelled back "This doesn't count!"

I rolled my eyes, and managed to control my heart rate to a certain decree.

"Can I transform?" I asked her.

"Not yet..." she replied.

As we fell, I tried to get a feel for my surroundings. The rock around us seemed to be changing as we fell. One second it was molten rock, the next it seemed to be obsidian. Then it looked so smooth that it might have been marble. I stared questionably at Sarah.

"We are entering our clan's hideout," she said.

Finally, a straight answer from somebody!

"Wait, clan?" I asked.

"Groups of Ash Bearers are called clans," said Amy from above us, "Our clan is one of the largest."

"Almost there!" shouted Jonah from below us.

Suddenly, I was blinded by color. The marble-like stone was flecked with different colored crystals and jewels that glowed like stars. I gazed at them with wonder, and forgot that I was probably about to die. Then, the hole opened up into the cavern I was waiting for. I let out a gasp.

The cavern was _huge_. It had to be the size of a hundred football stadiums. It looked a bit like a mine, with crystals of all sizes jutting out randomly from the walls and flickering, orange lights scattered across the floor.

"Ok, now we transform," said Sarah, catching fire.

Jonah had already become the flying monkey again, and was gliding smoothly to the cavern floor. Amy had turned into a white pegasus while Sammy rode on her back. Sarah extended her arms, which had now become wings, and followed everyone else. Following her example, I caught fire and felt my body change into the familiar dragon.

I let out a roar of pleasure as I extended my wings and turned my free-fall into a shallow dive. I landed neatly on the ground next to my siblings, who had changed back. I became myself again, and I was immediately surrounded. But not by rock. By people.

"Is this him?"

"Oh my gods!"

"He looks just like you, Sarah!"

I stared bewildered into the faces of the seemingly millions of people, all who were trying to get a good look at me.

"Ok, take a few steps back!" yelled Sarah, pushing her way through the crowd to me, "This is my brother, not an animal at the zoo!"

I shot her a grateful look, which she answered with a smile. I hated crowds.

"Everyone, this is Leo. He is my twin brother."

Everyone waved. A few scattered people said hi. I gave them an awkward little wave and what I hoped was a smile. Suddenly, someone shouted,

"Should we take him to the Flame Guardian?"

Everyone started shouting their agreement.

"Good idea!" exclaimed Sarah, "She is probably dying to see you!"

This excited Sammy for some reason, for he became a wolf again and started running around in circles.

"Wait!" I managed to yell.

Everyone went silent.

"Um..." I suddenly felt very small, like I had accidentally transformed into a fly. I somehow managed to regain my voice.

"Can I talk alone with my siblings, please?"

Everyone looked disappointed, but they reluctantly started leaving.

"What is it?" asked Amy.

"It is just, I wanted some time with only you guys," I admitted, "I never had any real siblings before now."

Jonah and Sammy gave me identical grins (except that Sammy's had two fangs), Amy gave me a small smile, and Sarah wrapped me in a hug.

"We will soon, but the Flame Guardian deserves to see you as much as we do."

I started to get irritated.

"No, she doesn't actually!" I yelled, startling Sarah, "You guys are my siblings, not her! All of my friends are back at Camp Half Blood!"

I felt a pang of sadness. Sarah gave me a look of pity, and squeezed me tighter. I ignored both.

"And my mom died eight years ago! So you are all I have!"

Sammy and Jonah's eyes widened, while Amy put a hand to her mouth. Sarah released me with a start, and stared me in the eye.

"What did you say?" she asked me.

"My mom's dead! _Our _mom's dead! She died in a fire that _I _created!"

I felt tears building up in my eyes, and struggled to hold them in. Sarah, for the first time since I saw her, looked completely serious.

"What is wrong with you guys?" I asked, looking around at my siblings, "You look like this is complete news for you! Don't you know that your own mother is dead?"

Sarah suddenly spoke up.

"Remember what I told you about how there were so many Ash Bearers? On the day we met?"

I wiped my eyes, and nodded.

"I said that Ash Bearers are only born from other Ash Bearers."

"That's not true," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "It is a gift from Hephaestus. That is how we got our fire abilities, right?"

Sarah shook her head, leaving me shocked.

"You are wrong. The only gift Hephaestus gave us is out blacksmith abilities. Our powers over fire we got from our mother."

My eyes widened.

"You mean-"

"Yes," answered Sarah, "Our mom is an Ash Bearer. And how can an Ash Bearer die in a fire?"

I finally realized what Sarah was trying to explain to me. But it was impossible. It couldn't be true. I then suddenly realized why Sammy was so unsettling to me. He was younger than me, which meant he was born after me. _By the same parents._

"The answer is, they can't," said Sarah, her face becoming blurry, "Leo, our mom is alive, and she is the Flame Guardian."

That was when I blacked out completely.

**Winekita and Caleo4eva, HOW THE HECK DID YOU GUESS!? But I would also like to give awesometacos credit for his/her guess, because it was awesome! Please review! Constructive criticism or whatever it is called is welcome! (now I am probably going to get like ten reviews telling me that it is said differently) U R ALL AWESOME!**

**Oh, and Matt, next time, could you please actually read the story? Because if you did, you would realize that Leo's friends didn't abandon him. Leo left them because he thought that he would hurt them. Have fun hanging out with your zero friends!**

**Catsrawesome**


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